Metal fence-post.



W. M. LEWIS.

METAL FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1913.

1,075,98, Patented 0013.14, 1913.

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' Suva @4701 jgl'ii iam 7 4 170 Lew i4 UN ITED STAIEB PATENT @FFIQF.

WILLIAM MILO LEWIS, OF NEW HARTFORD, IOWA.

METAL FENCE-POST.

Application filed January 16, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM MILO LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Hartford, in the county of Butler and State of Iowa haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Fencelosts; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in metal fence posts.

One object of the invention is to provide a fence post of this characterhaving an improved means for securely fastening a fence wire theretowhereby the Wire is locked and held against longitudinal movement.

Another object is to provide means whereby the wire fastening devicesafter locking the wire are securely fastened against disengagement orremoval from the fence post.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an outer side view of a fencepost con structed in accordance with my invention and showing the linewires of the fence applied thereto; F ig. 2 is an inner side view of thesame; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig.2; Fig. t is a similar view taken on the line H of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is acentral vertical sectional view of the post; Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view of a portion of one of my improved posts.

My improved fence post comprises a body portion 1 in the form of anangle iron bar which may be of any suitable size and any desired lengthand which when set up for use has its lower end embedded in or securedto a concrete or any other form of base or anchoring device (not shown).

At intervals or at suitable distances apart in the corner or apex of thepost are formed transverse or horizontally disposed wire receiving slots2 with which the line wires of the fence are adapted to be engaged.Above each of the slots 2 the apex or angular corner of the post isswaged or forced outwardly as at 3 to form in the inner side of theangle of the post a rearwardly inclined guide groove 4 to receive thefastening de- Specifioation of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 14,1913.

Serial No. 742,436.

vices 5 for the fence w'ire hereinafter described. Below each of theslots 2 the apex or angle of the post is swaged Or pressed outwardly asat 6 to form in the inner side or angle of the 0st an inclined clenchinggroove 7 for the ower end of the wire fastening device whereby said endis turned inwardly after being driven behind the fence wire or betweenthe fence wire and the groove 3 in the inner side of the post as will behereinafter more fully described. It will be noted that the swagedportions 6 of the post are forced back to a greater extent than theswaged portions 3 above the slots and that the clenching groove 7 insaid swaged portions 6 has its upper end extending out farther than orterminating in a plane beyond the plane in which the lower end of thegroove 4; terminates thus insuring the proper engagement of the end ofthe wire fastening device with said groove 7 for the purpose ofupsetting or turning the end of the fastening device.

The wire fastening devices 5 are in the form of tapered pins of suitablesize and length and are formed of malleable metal or are capable ofbeing bent and clenched into engagement with the post for holding theline wires 8 of the fence in locked engagement with the slots 2 of thepost. In fastening the line wires 8 to the post said wires are insertedin the slots 2 and are brought into engagement with the inner endsthereof after which the pointed or tapered ends of the pins 5 areengaged with the grooves 4: in the offset portions 3 of the post and areforced behind the wires 8 or between the same and the inner walls of thegrooves t until the points of the pins come into engagement with theupper ends of the grooves 7 in the ofiset portions 6 as clearlyindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings. After the fasteningpins have thus been engaged with the post the pins are driven downwardlywhereupon the inclined surface of the grooves 7 will turn the ends 9 ofthe pins inwardly below the wires 8. After the pins have been drivendown wardly and the lower ends thereof turned inwardly a sufficientdistance to project the points of the pins beyond the lower end of thegrooves 7 and a suitable distance beyond the inner side of the apex ofthe post the points or lower ends of the pins are up set or turned backinto engagement with the inner side or apex of the post, thuseffectually locking the pins and preventing the same from being pulledupwardly or removed until the upset lower ends 9 have been straightened.When the pins are,

driven downwardly in the grooves 4 of the post and: forced between thelower ends of the grooves 3 and the outer sides of the line wires 8 ofthe fence the increasing size of the pins due to the tapered structurethereof will bend saidline. wires. inwardly. or form. kinks or shortcurves 10 in saidwires 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 4: ofthe. drawings.The kinks 10. when thus formed provide. an interlocking engagement withthe pins and also form projections on the inner. sides. of the. wiresboth of which conditions will lock the line, wires of the fence againstlongitudinal movement in the slots 2 of the fence post, thus not onlysecurely fastening the wires to. the post, but also causing thesuccessive postsof the. fence to. brace each other through the linewires of the fence as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the.accompanying drawings, the. construction and operation of the invention.will be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in. the form, proportion and the minor details.ofconstructionv may be resorted. to. without departing from theprinciple or sacrificing any of the. advantages of the invention. asclaimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A fence. post comprising a body portion. having therein transversewire receiving slots which are. cut through from the outer to the. innerside of the post, saidv post having. in its. inner side above saidtransverse slots an. outwardly and downwardly inclined guide groove andbelow said slots an outwardly and upwardly inclined clenching groove,the upper end of which terminates. beyond the. lower end of the guidegroove above the. slot, and tapered wire fastening pins adapted to beengaged with said guide grooves and between the inner surface thereofand the outer side of the fencewire and to be driven downwardly betweenthe'wire and the wall of the groove whereby the lower end of the pin isforcibly engaged with said clenching groove and thereby turned inwardlyuntil the point of the pin projects beyond the lower end of theclenching groove, said point being upset into clenching engagement withthe inner side of the post.

2. A. fence. post comprising. an angle. iron bodyhaving in the apex orangular corner thereof a series of transversely disposed wire receivingslots which are cut through.

to the inner. side. of the. post, said post having its apex swagedoutwardly above. said slots to form downwardly and outwardly inclinedguide grooves and having its apeX' below sa dgrooves swaged outwardlyto.

form upwardly and outwardly inclined clenching grooves, said guidingand'clenching grooves communicating with. said slots, tapered wirefastening pins adapted to. be engaged with said wire guiding groovesbetween the wires ofthe. fence and the inner walls of the groove wherebywhen the. pins are driven downwardly the. lower ends thereof will be.engaged. with said. inclined clenching groove and will be therebyturned,

inwardly. until the point ofthe pin projects beyond. the lower end ofthe groove, said pointed: end of the pins being upset and clenched intoengagement with the inner side of the. post, the tapered structure ofsaid: pins when thus driven through the guide rooves 4 and into en aement with. e) b b b the clenching grooves, bending or kinking the wiresof' the fence. whereby the latter are locked against longitudinalmovement in the wire. receiving slots of the post.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in. presence oftwosubscribingwitnesses.

WILLIAM MILO LEWVIS. Nitnesses R. L. FARNswoR'rI-r, C. R. DODD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

